Gate-latch.



L, SWANK.

GATE LATCH.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 9,1914.

Illllliii; e

Patented Febe, 1915.;

W @W l' By l Arrofy rirrnn sans a LAFE SWANK, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO DWIGGINS 'WIRE FENCE COMPANY, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

GATE-LATCH.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Application tiled July 9, 1914. Serial No. 849,879.

T0 all Lo/10m it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lann SWANK, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Anderson, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Gate-Latch, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a gate latch which may be produced at minimum expense and yet be of such character as to be readily operable to release the gate but also capable of insuring automatic holding of the gate in closed position against manipulations of the gate by stock.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure l is a front elevation withthe gate tongue shown in vertical section; Fig. 2 a section on line 2, 2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 a perspective view of the complete lock and associated gate post and gate tongue.

In the drawings, l() indicates the main casing of the structure from the front face of which rise two latch hoods 1l, 11 which are preferably cast integral with the plate 10. The openings l2, 12 under these hoods 11, 11 extend through the main body 10, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2 and between the two hoods there lies an outwardly extended portion 13, the under face 15 of which is substantially square with the outer face of the plate and of a width substantially equal to the width of the gate tongue 16, the said surface 15 being provided to overlie the tongue 16 when said tongue is in gate-closed position. Extending through the side walls of the hoods 11, 1l and about midway of their height, are openings 17 which can be conveniently formed by cores and these openings are amply large to receive loosely the pivot pins 18 of the latches 20, these pivot pins lying substantially parallel with the outer face of the base l0 and being substantially horizontal and therefore at right angles to the axis of the gate so that the main bodies of the latches 20 swingin planes parallel with the closed plane of the gate. Each latch 20 at its outer or free end is provided with an outwardly and upwardly extended tongue 21, the lower face 22 of which forms a cam for engagement by the gate tongue 16 so as to be automatically lifted by said gate tongue when moving toward the closed position only. Rising from the main body 10 below extension 13 is a guard flange 23, the upper surface of which is crowned or downwardly and outwardly extended in opposite directions from the vertical middle.

It will be noticed that, because the latches 20 swing in planes substantially parallel with the closed position of the gate and because the inner faces of the latches 20 are substantially vertical, there can be no possible raising of the latches by any lateral rattling of the gate tongue 1G when it lies between the two latches.

In the construction of my gate latch, no machine work is required except the drilling of the single hole in each latch 20 for the reception of the pivot pin 18 and even that may be avoided by casting the hole although I do not recommend such a procedure because some means would then have to be provided to insure the permanence of the pin 18 in the latch.

I claim as my invention:

l. A gate latch comprising a .main body having a pair of substantially parallel hooded latch openings and a pair of laterally separated latches pivotally mounted in said latch openings so as to swing in planes substantially parallel with the closed-plane of an associated gate, each of said latches having an outwardly and upwardly inclined linger at its free end, said main body also comprising an outwardly extended portion between the latches to overlie a gate tongue and a crowned flange to underlie said gate tongue.

2. A gate latch comprising a main body, a pair of laterally separated latches pivotally mounted thereon so as to Swingin planes substantially parallel with the closedplane of an associated gate, each of said latches having an outwardly and upwardly inclined finger at its free end, said main body also comprising an outwardly eXtended portion between the latches to overlie a gate tongue. p

3. A gate latch comprising a main body having a pair of substantially parallel hooded latch openings and a pair of laterally separated latches pivotally mounted in said latch penings so as to swing in planes substantially parallel with the closed-plane of an associated gate, said main body also comprising an outwardly extended portion between the latches to overlie a gate tongue and a crowned liange to underlie said gate tongue. l

inclined finger at its free end, said kmain BiflO, Comprising an outwardly extended Portion between the latches, ta'ovrli a gate' tongue, anda crowned flange to underlierv gate tongue.

"In'witness whereof, I have hereunto set my' hand at Anderson, Indiana, this sixth 20 of `J A. D. one thousand niilehundredr and. fourteen.-

LAFE lVitnesses:

J. E. VAN` DEVENTER? J. E. DAVIS. L

(JopiesV o f this patentA may be obtained for five cents each, addressing thy;` Commissioner o; Raitgnts,

' Washingtomncyg 

